S05.E01: Find Your Warrior

[MostlyC]

Tom's life hangs in the balance as his beamer drifts into space; Tom encounters a surprising guest

 

 

Please hold off on posting here until after you've seen the episode.

[xaxat]

Wow, was I the only one that watched?

 

Although I do understand the lack of responses because there really isn't a lot to say. It's still the Mason family drama. Oh, and the world is ending.

[mattie0808]

I have waaaaaaay too many questions/issues with that ep, I didn't want to be a hater/killjoy. I don't even know where to start.

 

I don't know whether to be happy that this is the final season, or annoyed that because it's the final season I feel compelled to watch.

[thuganomics85]

I watched because I want to see this through and, well, to be hones, I just love Moon Bloodgood too much.

 

That said, not very optimistic at the moment.  If the premiere was any indication, the big story is going to be that the mysterious alien or whatever, has somehow warped Tom into unleashing his "warrior persona", or to put it in other words: instead of being a sanctimonious, speechifying dick, he's now a sanctimonious, speechifying dick with a violent streak, who doesn't care how much blood his shed, to kill the enemies.  Some redshirt dies, and he automatically just grabs the body and uses it has a distraction, and barely showing any remorse.  Cochise is concerned that the 2nd Mass might be tired?  Well, Tom think those wimps just need to suck it up!

 

Even then, I'll actually take that over the hell that is the continuing love triangle from hell, featuring Hal, Maggie, and Ben.  Just kill this storyline with fire, show.  I hate it so much.

 

I actually enjoyed Anne's speech to the 2nd Mass more then all of Tom's speeches put together.  Granted, on this show, that was never their strong point so that's pretty much damning her with faint praise, but there you go.  At least when she does it, it doesn't sound as condensing.  And, thankfully, no random American History references.

 

Looks like Deni (that's her name, right?) bit it.  I guess we'll be getting a body-count for this season as well.  I'm sure the Masons are all safe of course, but there is still some contenders left.  Dingaan, Anthony, and Mira Sorvino are all still hanging around.  Wouldn't be surprise if Weaver dies too, so they can consider that to be the "big death." 

Edited June 29, 2015 by thuganomics85

[FormerMod-a1]

I like this show, not love but like.  Two superficial things are still true for me after all this time.  1) I really want Tom to shave.   Other men are shaving, he's the only one with a scraggly beard.  2) I still want Maggie to be gone.  I never saw the point of her character and I don't know if it's the acting, but she has the charisma of a boiled potato.  At least she finally has dark roots - only took 5 years.

 

I was surprised that our crew seemed surprised there were other militias out there.  They knew they weren't the only survivors, did they think the others would justhide under rocks?   all of them?  I can see people doing that, but not all of them.  

[shrewd.buddha]

We watched, hoping that things would become more focused since it is the final season.

.... But the show, and Tom Mason, did not give us much hope for a season of better quality writing or plotting :

People : "How did you survive - *again*" ? 

Tom : "Don't know, don't care. Just roll with it -- 'cause I ain't going nowhere. It is now - and forever will be - all about me. Now sit back and let me do my speech-ifying.."

 

It's not a horrible show, but it has sunk to the depths of B-level or C-level sci-fi : "We want Noah Wyle to have problem X and be forced to sacrifice Y and barely escape Z before the mcguffin blows up -- so write a bunch of sci-fi mumbo jumbo blah blah blah to make that happen -- it doesn't need to make a whole lot of sense.." 

Edited June 29, 2015 by shrewd.buddha

[ottoDbusdriver]

And, thankfully, no random American History references.

 

Except for the FDR quote heard during Tom's opening sequence -- "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself".

 

I'm surprised that Tom didn't have a one-on-one conversation with Cochise about a possible 3rd player in this interstellar war.

[Iamsweetdee]

Bye Falling Skies. I tried to stick with you as the end was nigh, but you suck. You will only survive if you are a Mason or are fucking a Mason, apparently. Or an old white dude. Anthony will be dead by the end of the season. Poor little Denni (sp?). Instead of exploring her and Ben's journeys through being connected to the aliens, they just through her to side so Ben could swap with his brother. Gross. Ugh, this show doesn't deserve this much thought or attention. 

Edited June 29, 2015 by Iamsweetdee

[MostlyC]

People : "How did you survive - *again*" ?

Tom : "Don't know, don't care. Just roll with it

 

I spent most of the episode thinking that he was dreaming and then at the end of the episode he'd wake up back on the ship and repenting how cold blooded he'd become and that when he got home, he'd be level headed and find the balance between cold warrior and pacifist and then the aliens would bring him back to earth.

 

I was wrong, so I'm trying to figure out what the hell is going on.  But I'll attempt to role with it.

[tv echo]

After watching four seasons, I wanted to watch the fifth and final season... but I really don't know how long I can stick it out.  I forgot how annoying I found parts of this show until I watched last night's episode.

 

How many times now has Tom Mason gone off and been presumed dead, only to turn up miraculously alive?  I still can't stand the Hal/Maggie/Ben love triangle.  Weaver has been reduced to a sidekick.  I do like Anne though.

Edited June 29, 2015 by tv echo

[Uncle Benzene]

Hey, whadd'ya know? Tom Mason is back from Deep Space because reasons! Then they all kill a bunch of skitters! The end.

 

Absolutely riveting television.

[xaxat]

How many times has Tom come back from impossible odds when facing aliens? If I were a member of the 2nd Mass I would be thinking "collaborator!" 

 

It's to bad Pope has gone soft.

[iMonrey]

Hmm. Actually I thought this was kind of a promising start to the final season. Considering how WTF that last scene was in last season's finale, with Tom's Skitter-Wife standing in the doorway, I thought they managed to deal with that and then sweep it under the rug as neatly as possible, as if to say "You know what? That was a bad idea, let's move past it."

 

We had no more Lexi, no suddenly added new important characters to eat the show like she did last season, no neo-Nazi schools for brainwashed kids, no new aliens to contend with . . . it felt very much like everyone was getting down to the business of ending this war once and for all and doing some cleanup. 

 

I really liked when Tom finally faced the head alien (what are they called again? Overlord?) and instead of some kind of long, drawn-out philosophical conversation, Tom just pulls out his freaking gun and blows him right the heck away. Awesome. We need more of that, less musing. 

 

I know there has been a different show runner for this series literally every season, so I'm hoping whoever ran it into the ground last season is gone and whoever is in charge now can clean up the mess they made. And I thought last night's episode was a good start.

[Nukester]

Honestly, really?  That was terrible.  After kind of enjoying the last 4 seasons, what a "poof/Fizzle" of a Mason start.  Man i'm sick of that character and his drama.   On the other hand The Last Ship is rockin.

[scrambled eggs]

Pretty sure Tom Mason is the most annoying main character of any show I watch. I was hoping he'd be missing for at least an episode or two--at a minimum, trying to find everyone else. But no, there he is, back and sanctimonious as usual.

 

The problem with the show only airing during the summer is that I can never remember which aliens are bad and which are good. I could use some on-screen graphics.

[ikmccall]

  Wouldn't be surprise if Weaver dies too, so they can consider that to be the "big death." 

 

 

 

I think that would actually make me cry. I watched an interview with Will Patton from a Comic-Con a few weeks ago and the only spoiler he gave up was that Weaver might get a love story for a couple of episodes.

[Latverian Diplomat]

I was surprised that our crew seemed surprised there were other militias out there.  They knew they weren't the only survivors, did they think the others would justhide under rocks?   all of them?  I can see people doing that, but not all of them.  

 

They knew there were other militias, but I thought the 2nd Mass was supposed to be fairly unique in their determination to stay in the field and not get hauled off to the Brazilian safe zone or whatever, when that was a thing, which was two or three 180 degree turns from the Volm ago.

 

I think Tom convinced me to find my warrior self if I ever see another lame dream sequence again. Falling Skies is among the worst offenders, but honestly, I am sick of them everywhere.

Edited June 30, 2015 by Latverian Diplomat

[ShannaB]

Oh hell....after seeing that episode I'm rooting for the aliens.

[raven]

Haha.  Pope had the best line to Tom "You hijack an alien ship, get lost, ride up to the galaxy and you still won't die!"  Hahaha.

 

Don't remember much about last season but am glad Lexi is gone.  Hate the Maggie/Ben/Hal triangle.  Is that all she's good for?

 

 

The problem with the show only airing during the summer is that I can never remember which aliens are bad and which are good. I could use some on-screen graphics.

I hear ya.  Cochise, Espheni, mechs and I'm sure I'm missing something.   I do know mechs = bad.

 

I'm not super invested but I've come this far, I guess I'll see it through.  I do like Ben.  Oh and Weaver.  I don't hate Tom and the Masons but am kind of tired of them.

 

Oh yeah, the beginning of Tom's speech he says   "I wish I had a better story to tell you".  Me - "So do I, Tom".

[spritz]

It is not compelling drama when the good guys have all the guns and the bad guys are unarmed. Usually in shows like this, the good guys are suppose to be the sympathetic ones and are suppose to be the underdogs.

 

I thought it was just odd and bizarre that the fight scenes were so one sided in favor of the supposedly good guys. The 2nd Mass just fired at will and mowed down unarmed skitters. Even though the high school and the forest fight scenes were suppose to be skitter ambushes against the 2nd Mass, it was really the skitters who seemed to have been ambushed. The skitters were just fodder for the 2nd Mass. There was no suspense as to the outcome, especially because only one side had all the guns. 

 

Not only was that not compelling storytelling, but the one sided nature of the fire fight made the unarmed skitters seemed like the ones that the viewers should have had sympathy for.

[feverfew]

It is not compelling drama when the good guys have all the guns and the bad guys are unarmed. Usually in shows like this, the good guys are suppose to be the sympathetic ones and are suppose to be the underdogs.

 

I thought it was just odd and bizarre that the fight scenes were so one sided in favor of the supposedly good guys. The 2nd Mass just fired at will and mowed down unarmed skitters. Even though the high school and the forest fight scenes were suppose to be skitter ambushes against the 2nd Mass, it was really the skitters who seemed to have been ambushed. The skitters were just fodder for the 2nd Mass. There was no suspense as to the outcome, especially because only one side had all the guns. 

 

Not only was that not compelling storytelling, but the one sided nature of the fire fight made the unarmed skitters seemed like the ones that the viewers should have had sympathy for.

I'm also a bit confused; weren't the skitters brainwashed/slaves to the Espheni? And therefor shouldn't our heroes try to save them? For that matter, what happened to the skitter rebels? Did Redeye die? And if so, are all skitters now "bad"? What happened to the rest of the previously harnessed kids? (and wouldn't that be a better storyline for Ben than a tired love triangle we all know how is going to end? I mean, obviously she's not going to chose Ben anyway, so what's the point...?)

 

Despite the fact that I dislike all Masons (Anne included) exept Ben, I'll still watch the show till the end. What can I say? I'm a completionist, and I love Weaver...

[iMonrey]

 

It is not compelling drama when the good guys have all the guns and the bad guys are unarmed. Usually in shows like this, the good guys are suppose to be the sympathetic ones and are suppose to be the underdogs.

 

But it was the other way around for most of the first four seasons: the humans were out-gunned and running scared. They managed to pull off a major win at the end of last season and now the humans have the upper hand. That's what I found so satisfying about it. This is supposed to be the last season, the "final battle," so I'm encouraged to see them moving in this direction right from the start and ending this story once and for all. Had this season followed a path similar to the previous two, we would have been bogged down with new enemies, new characters, and new obstacles. I was very relieved not to see any of that.

 

Last season was just such a disaster in every way I was expecting the worst, so maybe that's why I was so pleasantly surprised by the quick house-cleaning they seem to be doing. 

[ganesh]

Yeah, I don't have a problem with the humans finally having the advantage. 

 

I'm mostly riding out the string, but I did like that Cochese confirmed that there were other militias around the world. I've been bitching my head off about world building since they went to Charleston. 

[xaxat]

 

I'm mostly riding out the string, but I did like that Cochese confirmed that there were other militias around the world. 

 

But none of them have the power of THE MASONS!

[ganesh]

They will.

[Dowel Jones]

Oh yeah, the beginning of Tom's speech he says   "I wish I had a better story to tell you".  Me - "So do I, Tom".

 

Writers' Room:  "Count us in."

 

The large scale irony of this end is that there is nothing holding the 2Mass & Co. together except a shared enemy.  Now that they're on the run, supposedly, who is going to rebuild any kind of society once the enemy is removed?  They're all in a hunter/gatherer mode, unwilling to give up authority to anyone of their own group, much less some other militia.  Clean the streets, grow and cook food, sanitation and all the other things a civilization takes for granted?  "Not I", sez them.  All they have is a bunch of Masons to boss them around.  And, meanwhile, Cochise, having developed a taste for bourbon, is sitting back in the shade, mumbling to himself "What the hell was I thinking?"

[ganesh]

I'm guessing the season and series is going to end with the humans "winning" and then a big speech from Tom, and then we all come over here to roll our eyes. 

 

That's kind of the problem with these stories. They don't continue on to the rebuilding. I only can recall Babylon 5 actually doing this. After all the different alien races beat the Big Bad, they still had another season after that. Some races, like the humans had a civil war, others tried to 'soviet expand' and annex weaker races, etc. 

 

I'd be interested in seeing what happens after the aliens leave. If there's only 5 big militias around, you could totally see some kind of warlord culture developing. I highly doubt that TPTBs gave that much thought though. 

[TVSpectator]

So, I just catch this episode on TNT and wow...talk about Tom finding his inner warrior. Although, I do hope that there will be less hugging and grand speeches and more of this "inner warrior" stuff. IMO, I have a feeling that Tom is, once again, under some alien control although, what is wrong with him, I don't know. Maybe it will be relieved that the last 5 seasons were nothing buy a dream and Tom is really in a coma somewhere in Boston or that Lexi is still messing with his mind?

 

 

I'm guessing the season and series is going to end with the humans "winning" and then a big speech from Tom, and then we all come over here to roll our eyes. 

 

That's kind of the problem with these stories. They don't continue on to the rebuilding. I only can recall Babylon 5 actually doing this. After all the different alien races beat the Big Bad, they still had another season after that. Some races, like the humans had a civil war, others tried to 'soviet expand' and annex weaker races, etc. 

 

I'd be interested in seeing what happens after the aliens leave. If there's only 5 big militias around, you could totally see some kind of warlord culture developing. I highly doubt that TPTBs gave that much thought though. 

 

I would love to see the rebuilding aspect for this society, but didn't Cochise mentioned that there are only 317-500 militias worldwide and then someone else mentioned that they all are dead (and knowing this show that could be a possibility)? Personally, I do want there to be more than 317-500 militias left standing by the end of this season, only because if the 2nd Mass is the last remaining group of humanity left, then I would rather not be bothered watching how the Masons repopulate the human race. 

Edited July 5, 2015 by TVSpectator

[Raven1707]

Unarmed skitters grabbed Deni's arms and legs and tore her apart.

 

Not feeling any sympathy for the skitters...

[miracole]

Seriously Falling Skies you killed Deni!  All last season I was waiting to see the friendship maybe more between Ben and Deni but  no instead you pull him into the black hole of suck that is Maggie.

 

So skitters kill Deni.  Remember two seasons ago when she was ripping skitters throats out.  I watched about four epis last year and now I'm out after the first epi of the last season. Man I used to really like this show.  

 

Tom reminds me of Nathan from Heros. Every season Nathan would die and  mysteriously return every season Tom goes off with the aliens and everyone thinks he's dead before he mysteriously returns.  Didn't care about Nathan dying  every season and don't care about Tom's camping trips every season.

[Ottis]

I had forgotten how ridiculous this show is. Thanks, Show.

 

Tom Mason is not a warrior. A professor, maybe. At best, a briefly violent father protecting his family in the moment. The whole concept of him "finding his warrior" was laugh out loud funny. And when he pulled out the skitter head, we all cracked up.

 

Tom Mason is a douchebag. I don't know if it is just Noah Whylie's acting, or something the show wants, but how annoying it would be to listen to his speeches while at the same time hearing him refuse and deflect questions about his miraculous survival.

 

Meanwhile ... we get a big speech from Anne about finally having the upper hand ... and immediately, Weaver has the team strengthening defenses ... for the 12 hours or so they will be there before going on the offensive.

 

And I won't give the stupid love triangle any cred by talking about it. As soon as it appeared, one of our party groaned, "Not this again."

 

There is a decent show in there somewhere, around Weaver and Anne and the loud-mothed guy. But Tom drags it all down.

 

I'm also a bit confused; weren't the skitters brainwashed/slaves to the Espheni? And therefor shouldn't our heroes try to save them? For that matter, what happened to the skitter rebels? Did Redeye die? And if so, are all skitters now "bad"?

 

 

All very good questions, and what we were discussing as soon as the show indicated the Overlord control was gone.

[ganesh]

I would rather not be bothered watching how the Masons repopulate the human race.

 

It's going to be like Dune where all the sandworms were essentially Atreides progeny.